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[press] Reproductive justice: Achilles’ heel of Ireland, North and South

As the Irish general election approaches, one of the most conflicting issues that politicians often try to avoid discussing is that of reproductive justice, reductively referred to as ‘abortion’. Despite recent advancements in progressive legislation, such as marriage equality and the Gender Recognition Act of 2015, Irish authorities remain considerably averse to promoting progressive legislation on reproductive justice. In Northern Ireland, where a stalemate remains on both #reprojustice and#equalmarriage, political debates are marked by a strong sense of social conservatism, with larger political parties using debates on these issues to reaffirm their conservative (and invariably misogynist) attitudes. More often than not, discussions on the subject are reduced to paranoid interjections, mainly by cisgender and heteronormative men, upholding non-arguments such as the infamous ‘abortion-on-demand’. Those subscribing to opinions of this nature are simply unprepared to accept the concept of gender equality, and their views on reproductive justice provide an insight into a deeply ingrained inclination to exercise control on (in their opinion) female bodies. As far as the political establishment is concerned, there is a clearunwillingness to address the issue. In the #GE16 campaign, the issue is addressed cautiously, with Labour, for example, pledging a referendum.